So back in November, I had this BRILLIANT idea to give out “experiences” as Christmas gifts, see Give the Gift of an "Experience". Overall things went well; however, I did run into a few challenges. Now, looking back, I see these little snafus as opportunities to plan differently next time, so it’s all good!

I had to come up with ideas for a wide range of personalities, ages and interest. My mother was pretty easy because she TOLD me what she wanted, tickets to see the Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre. My brother is soooo NONCHALANT, but I knew he would be traveling for his best friend’s wedding in Atlanta, I bought him a Southwest Airlines gift card loaded with a nice amount to cover most of his flight. Oh yes, and Veronica got concert tickets to see Mos Def here in DC for her birthday! Easy enough…

However, the "experiences" I was most worried about were for the CHILDREN! You know kids can be REEAAAL funny acting… So Aunty Veronica and I decided to make this a joint effort. Jesus help us lol!

Original Idea:

In a perfect world I wanted all four nieces and nephews and my little cousin Khalil together, on the same day for a couple hours to enjoy this amazingly original experience! Afterwards we would grab a bite to eat and we would happily drop them off to their parents. Haha…yeah right! It didn’t happen quite like that, at all.

Things to Think About:

1)These days, kids have schedules. Getting all five together was impossible. LOL. Khalil (5yrs) was booked out for the entire two weeks I was home, he had no time for me. Reese (7yrs) was only available certain days due to her school schedule and extracurricular activities. This was the same for Myles (3 1/2yrs). Ethan (3yr) and Elle (11/2yr) had nap times we had to work around. Needless to say not an easy task.

2)These children are well cultured! Translation, any activity you think is cool and original, they have already done it. Myles for example has seen and done everything kid related in Chicago. So just be ready for the “been there, done that”.

3)These little people are independent individuals. Meaning they don’t like the same things so before you plan some amazing activity you better figure out what they like.

Backup Plan:

Veronica and I decided to have a traditional girls evening with Reese. She is such a “little lady”, so we all went and had manicures and pedicures. She picked out her nail polish and told the tech exactly what she wanted done. Afterwards, Reese chose to have hamburgers and fries for dinner. We went to a local spot in Hyde Park, Mikkey’s Retro Grill. The food was delicious and the customer service was on point!

Reese and her "back -up singers"...She is totally the star.

For the little ones, we thought Pump It Up Chicagowould be a winner! (FINGERS CROSSED) Ethan loved it at first sight, however Elle and Myles had to warm up to the indoor “bounce house experience”. Even with the two aunties, keeping up with three little ones was a challenge, but we did it and everyone lived to tell the story! Afterwards we went for pizza and whatever else their little hearts desired. Despite the fact that their parents were harassing us to bring their children back.... Sheesh! We were only gone for like three hours, get a grip! All in all it was a success!

Elle not looking at the camera! But they were ready to go!

At the end of the day, it didn’t really matter what we did with them. It was about the time we spent with them. Creating memories, seeing their personalities shine and getting hugs and kisses from happy little people was the highlight.

Enjoy the Journey,

Tahlee

I’m Tahlee! (Tah-dee), the “L” is pronounced as a “D”, it means “successful journey”. The meaning of my name has become a reflection of my life. I live to travel and I’m always looking for an adventure. I will be sharing my travels with you, “my places, spaces and experiences”.

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